Seven years ago The Get Up Kids imploded after touring their 2004 album Guilt Show in a blow-up that was so well documented it’s natural to wonder what’s kept them together since their 2009 reformation.
“We get away from each other,” Kids frontman Matt Pryor says. “It was a weird transition, going from guys who spend every waking minute together, to having wives and families and other priorities. We spend time apart so when we we’re writing, recording and touring, we’re more likely to enjoy each other’s company. That and to let shit go that doesn’t matter. It’s called the don’t-be-a-dick rule.”
After a four-year break where the individual Kids continued or started projects and pursued solo careers, the band reunited to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of Something to Write Home About, their most successful album. At an early festival show in Belgium, the Kansas City quintet (vocalist/guitarist Pryor, guitarist/vocalist Jim Suptic, bassist Rob Pope, keyboardist James Dewees and drummer Ryan Pope) talked about writing new songs.
“We were going to get together with no pre-written material and just bounce ideas off each other,” Pryor says. “That was the way we used to write. It felt really comfortable and natural. It was literally all five of us having creative input.”
The Kids stayed together after the sessions which ultimately yielded last year’s Simple Science EP and the full-length There Are Rules, released in January to somewhat mixed reviews. The lukewarm reaction to the distinctly different album didn’t surprise Pryor.
“It was more positive than I expected,” Pryor says, laughing. “Our first two records never got good reviews when they came out, but in hindsight people like them. If you’re willing to go with us on this journey, you’ll probably dig it. Acknowledging that we can do whatever we want as long as we like it is really freeing creatively. We were like, ‘Fuck it, man, make it weird. Go with it.’ ”
THE GET UP KIDS play the Southgate House Saturday, July 16 with guests THE GLOBES and THE CAVES. Buy tickets, check out performance times and get venue details here.